Dead and Gone,,,,,,,,,,Maybe
by misto-shadow
Summary: Sakura has just found out Sasuke is dead. What is she to do? Read and find out! Heh, but I am such a meanie.....FINISHED! YAY! I'm not a meanie anymore! I think....
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer-** Yes. I do own Naruto and all its characters. I also own a huge nuclear missile that could destroy the entire planet that I keep in my basement. Ha………..NOT.

Dead and Gone……Maybe.

She couldn't believe this was happening. She felt as if the world around her had been ripped apart and thrown in her face. There was no one who could possibly understand her pain now. Her heart was breaking, dying. Her whole body was numb. The room surrounding her spun and lurched before her eyes, and then she blacked out.

"Uhnn……." Sakura sat up from the bed she was laying in and looked around in confusion. "What….what happened?"

Reality came crashing back and she felt suddenly sick to her stomach. She dragged herself off the bed and ignored her dizzy vision as she wobbled over to the door and hurriedly stepped outside where she relieved the contents of her stomach. Sakura wiped the bile away from her lips and tears burned her eyes, threatening to fall at any second. She didn't try to stop them. They told her Sasuke had been killed. She always thought he was invincible, indestructible. He was _dead._

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I am so MEAN! Sorry 'bout this, but I want to know if anybody is really interested in hearing the rest so I don't have to waste my time typing this up for nobody when I could be working on my other fics! So…….if you want to know what happens……tell me and I'll write the rest! But for now, I'm just gonna relax and read some other stories that strike my interest. Later days!

Mistoffelees Shadow


	2. In the Moonlight

**Disclaimer- **Heh, read the first chapter.

Dead and Gone……Maybe (pt. 2)

"Sakura?" Naruto poked his head through the door of the hut where the pink haired girl had currently secluded herself from the world.

She hadn't come out in nearly a week, and the blonde wasn't even sure if she had been eating the food brought to her. Everyone had been affected by Sasukes death, but Sakura was devastated. She wasn't just another one of his fan girls, she was a friend, and she truly cared for the Uchiha. He wasn't just a pretty face to her; she loved him even though he did everything in his power to distance himself from emotion and friendship. A blanket covered lump shifted ever so slightly a bed by the drape covered window. The blonde at the door had grown used to this greeting, and knew he could enter the hut.

"Get up, Sakura! It's time to eat!" Naruto walked over to the bed and pulled back the covers with two fingers and shoved a bowl of Ramen he held in that hand into Sakura's face. "Come on, it's Ramen! Your favorite!" Naruto wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and grinned as the girl rolled furrowed her brow and opened her once lively green eyes, now dull and emotionless.

"Naruto……Ramen is _your _favorite." She grumbled tiredly and stared at him, showing no interest in the bowl noodles whatsoever.

"Yeah, you're right…" Naruto shrugged and set the Ramen down on the bed right in front of Sakura's face so the steam lifted the delicious scent up into her nostrils.

He then sat down in a chair by the bed and began to eat the other bowl of Ramen he had brought with him.

"Ya know," Naruto said through a mouth full of noodles, "you really should eat. You look sick like this, all pale and stuff." Sakura only blinked and stared at him, thinking.

'_If I eat this, he'll probably go away sooner and leave me be…..I just wish he wouldn't bring me Ramen every day, I'm getting pretty sick of it.' _Sakura picked up the dish and began to eat slowly, even after all this time she still felt sick to her stomach, ever since she had heard Sasuke was dead. Really Naruto was the only one keeping her living, even if he didn't know it. She only ate when he brought her food, because he was the only one who actually stayed to make sure she did. Not that the others didn't care, but she always clammed up and made it impossible to hold a conversation, and at that point it grew uncomfortable in the silence so the visitor usually left her to her thoughts. But Naruto didn't care about having a conversation; he didn't try to get Sakura to talk about the pain she suffered because of Sasukes passing.

He was there to cheer her up, and to force her to eat. In the back of her mind she figured he knew she didn't. _'Stupid Naruto….I wish he'd just go away!' _But in truth, Sakura was glad he was there, forcing her to live on, even if it was only to lie in bed all day and dwell in the house of sorrow. Naruto finished stuffing his face and wiped his mouth with the back of his sleeve, sighing in contentment. He was always so carefree and happy, it seemed. Really he did this for Sakura, hoping that it would help to lift her out of her state of mourning. When he wasn't visiting her he was still somewhat happy on the outside, but in truth he was sad at the loss of his rival, and even though they never really seemed like they liked each other, he was sad from the loss of a friend.

"Good, you're done!" Naruto grinned and took the empty dish from Sakura and stacked it on top of his own and set them down on the nightstand.

A devious look passed over his features and Sakura furrowed her brow, wishing she knew what he was thinking of at that moment. Her eyes widened in surprise when Naruto grabbed her by her upper arm and dragged her off the bed. She subconsciously straightened her legs to support her so she wouldn't fall and shot a glare at the boy who had a firm hold on her arm.

"You've moped long enough, Sakura! It's time to come back to the world of the living again!" Naruto started towards the door, still gripping Sakura's arm.

"Naruto!" She growled at him in protest, but from lack of exercise and proper nourishment she was too weak to resist.

Naruto flung the door open and pulled Sakura out into the sunlight. She stumbled outside and squinted from the brightness of the sun. Being cooped up in that hut or nearly a week with the drapes drawn across the only window kept it dark, and being flung out into the broad daylight hurt her eyes. Now that Sakura was out in the sunlight, Naruto could really notice how sick and frail she was. Her skin was dead white, and the dark bags under her eyes greatly contrasted with her skin. She stayed in a bed all day, excluding the times she got up to use the restroom, but she rarely slept. She just lay awake night and day, wallowing in a drowning pit of pain and sorrow. A flicker of annoyance lighted her otherwise lifeless eyes as Naruto yanked her arm, trying to get her to follow him willingly without the need of force.

"Let's go, Sakura!" He turned and quirked a brow at her, his blue eyes dancing with impatience. He stopped tugging on her arm and his eyes softened, a comforting smile lifting the corners of his mouth.

"You need to move on. I know you miss him, but you're not meant to be holed up in a little old hut the rest of your life!" The corner of Sakura's mouth twitched up into a small smile, and a fraction of the boundless emotion that had always graced her emerald eyes returned. She was about to thank Naruto for his comforting words, and tell him that all this sensitivity he had towards her was getting bothersome, when he spoke up again.

"Besides, you're my only other training buddy!! I need to keep getting better so I can become Hokage, and you have to help me!" Naruto grinned and tugged on Sakura's arm again, pulling her forward.

He turned around to face the path once more, just missing Sakura roll her eyes at him. She couldn't help but smile a little bit at his antics to get her up and around again. But that's what friends were for, right? Naruto dragged Sakura back to Konoha in a fit of bubbling excitement. Sakura had holed herself up in a secluded hut in the middle of the woods so she wouldn't have to worry about pesky visitors who 'just happened to be in the neighborhood'. Too bad everyone who knew her weren't like that. Then she could've stayed in peace away from the outside world, and all the bothersome people that came with it. Like Naruto.

The day was spent being dragged all over the place to say hi to friends that had missed and/or worried about her, and Sakura was trapped constantly within the confines of crushing hugs. The sun began to set and Naruto dragged her towards their final destination of the day. Ramen, anyone? Naruto inhaled his food, and then when Sakura pushed hers away a look of delight spread across his face and he eyed it eagerly. Sakura rolled her eyes and shoved the bowl in his direction and turned to stare at the painted sky. _'I guess I am a little happy to see everyone again….but……I….I can't help but wonder…..Ino said they never found his body…..No!! Kakashi-sensei and the others could never make a mistake like that……..they would have found him if he was…….' _The all too familiar feeling of oncoming tears burned at her eyes and she ducked her head, glad that Naruto was too busy stuffing his face to notice.

"Hey….Naruto?" Sakura quickly wiped the back of her had over her eyes in an attempt to get rid of the tears, and then she looked at the blonde beside her.

"Wha is it, Thakura?" Naruto didn't bother to swallow his Ramen, and a few noodles dangled out of his mouth.

"I'm…..I'm gonna head back now….it's getting late." Sakura averted her eyes and stared and her hands as she fiddled with her clothes.

Naruto slurped up the last of the Ramen and smiled. "Okay. Sleep well! I'll see ya tomorrow?" Even if she didn't give him the approval, he'd come over anyway. Sakura wouldn't eat unless someone stayed to make sure she did, and even though she seemed to enjoy her day out of the hut she still looked sad. Unimaginably sad.

"Yeah, sure Naruto, night." Sakura waved hastily and left, for the tears burned her eyes and blurred her vision. She had to get away so he wouldn't see and fret about her.

Halfway back to the hut she was no longer able to retain the salty tears, and they spilled relentlessly over her cheeks. It seemed that Sakura had cried so much that the tears had left a permanent set of worn down tear tracks on her face. The sun finally ducked completely behind the horizon, leaving only shadows of its former self behind. The night came on fast then, and Sakura was glad there weren't any clouds to obscure the moon and the stars lighting her way. As she reached the hut she breathed a sigh of relief. Ever since she had left Konoha she felt as if someone had been watching her. Sakura let herself I and collapsed on the bed. She let the pent up sobs escape her throat now, and her eyes burned with unshed sorrow, but nothing came. It seemed that she had finally cried away every last tear, now only able to voice her pain.

"Sasuke…….I…I miss you so much!" Sakura gripped the pillow to her face and let her emotions run wild.

He was never coming back. She was never going to see the perfection that was him ever again. She would never see that smirk that filled her gut with warm fuzzies, nor would she hear his voice again, or see him wage verbal war on Naruto while she stood by doing her best to hold back her laughter. Laughter that would never bubble up in her throat again. He was gone, and he had taken her day to day joy with him. Sakura unleashed a fresh wave of tears, fully replenished by her new found grief. Her life had taken a turn for the worst, and it was a permanent turn. No, this was more than just a bad turn, this was more like a crash-and-burn-your-life-is-over worse. Sakura cried herself to sleep with her face buried in a tear-soaked pillow.

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_Sakura's dream_

_The room was pitch black. She couldn't see where she was going, but she had lived here long enough to know where the door was from her bed. Sakura stubbed her toe on what she figured was the nightstand and she hissed in response to the sudden pain. She found the wall with her hands and slid them up and down along the boards, searching for the doorknob. Her hand hit the cold metal and she fumbled to get the lock open so she could go outside. She finally yanked the door open, only to find Sasuke standing there, his face bloodied and bruised like the rest of his body. _

"_Sasuke! You're….you're alive!!" Sakura rushed out and wrapped her arms around him. _

"_Get off me, bitch." His words were harsh and cold, stinging Sakura to the bone._

_Sakura stepped back, her eyes wide with hurt and fear. "Sasuke….what's wrong?" She studied his face, but the only hint of emotion was the seething anger in his eyes. _

"_You're a weak, pathetic excuse for a ninja. You should have never tried to learn. You knew you would fail, you knew you would be the downfall of those around you. But you didn't care, did you? No, out of your own selfish want you trained to be a ninja so you could become strong and hope I would be impressed. But now because of you I'm dead. And it's all your fault, Sakura." Sasuke sneered at her, and one bloody hand reached for her throat. _

"_No! Sasuke, why are you doing this!? How can you be dead if you're standing right here?!" Fear swept through her body, and she was unable to back away from Sasuke, even though she knew what he was about to do._

"_Yes, it's all your fault Sakura. I will never be able to avenge my families death now, and Itachi goes free. Are you happy?" The mangled hand gripped her throat and she struggled to breathe._

"_Sa…Sasuke!" Sakura tried to pull his hand away from her so she could breathe again, but his iron firm grip remained unphased by her attempts._

"_I am no longer able to avenge my family, Sakura. So, instead of taking the life of my brother, I will take the life of the one who is the reason he still draws breath!" Sasuke tightened his grip, completely closing off Sakura's windpipe._

_Sakura flailed wildly in an attempt to break free, but in vain. She began to see colors bursting in front of her eyes and the ground lurched as a sign that her body could not take much more of this, or she would pass out and never wake up again. Sasuke was smirking evilly all the while, and just before Sakura passed out he relieved the grip on her throat somewhat. She gasped for breath, and as soon as she filled her lungs the hand at her throat tightened once more. _

"_Now die, Sakura!" Sasuke punched her viciously in the gut. _

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Sakura jerked up in bed and cried out. Tears ran down her cheeks and she was coated in a cold sweat. It dawned on her that it was all just a dream, and she buried her face in her hands and began to sob uncontrollably. She didn't want to go on like this, living in a twenty-four hour nightmare from hell. She wanted it to stop. She needed it to stop. And there it was, the answer to all her suffering. The sharp edge glinted ominously in the pale moonlight that seeped through the crack in her blinds. Someone, she didn't know who, had brought her a meal the day before and accidentally left the silverware behind. Not that she cared that there was also a fork accompanying the knife, _her _knife. The one that would bring an end to her day to day torture.

Sakura crawled out of bed and stepped down onto the floor, gasping slightly at the feel of the chilled wood. She didn't give that a second thought as she made her way unsteadily to the small table. Her hands trembled as she reached for the knife, but she did not hesitate. She gripped the handle with a determined look in her tired eyes. But just as she was about to let the blade run through her delicate flesh, she stopped. If she did the deed here, in this hut, it would be a terrible mess to clean up when Naruto found her in the morning. She would have stunk too, being left there for the night would begin the process of rot and decay.

Sakura walked deep into the woods, her knife gripped firmly with both hands. No more pain, no more suffering, no more aching for the joy that once filled her entire being. She was a hollow, shattered remnant of what she had been before, and nothing could fix it. Finally Sakura reached a clearing where the moon lit every blade of grass with its silvery light. Sakura held the knife firmly in one hand and pressed the cool edge against her skin. But before she could draw the lifeblood from her skin, a voice echoed across the clearing that made her freeze.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. You've still got so much to live for." Sakura spun around and locked eyes with none other than…..Sasuke.

The knife fell soundlessly to the grass as she stared in disbelief at his dark figure. She shook her head as tears welled in her eyes, and she covered her ears with her clenched hands.

"No! No! You're dead! They said you were dead, Sasuke!!" Her eyes were squeezed shut against the tears, but they came anyway, dripping from her eyes and splashing mutely on the crumpled grass below.

When there was no reply, Sakura tried to calm her nerves and look to see if the 'illusion' had disappeared. But when she looked, all she saw was the dark material of Sasukes shirt. She stumbled back in alarm and fell on her rump next to the knife that glittered in the moonlight. She gasped and closed her eyes against the sight of him standing above her, trying to calm her erratic breathing and pounding heart. She thought she had gone insane, and now she was seeing things that weren't really there.

"You aren't real….Sasuke is dead….Sasuke is dead…" she chanted quietly, but her voice was airy and afraid.

"If I was dead, how could I be standing here? And how could I do this?" Sasuke reached down and grazed Sakura's cheek with his pale fingers.

In response her eyes flew open and shock was plainly etched into her features. Without warning she grabbed the knife at her side and held it to Sasuke's throat.

"You. Are. Not. Real." Her voice was hard, but the fear was still ringing in her tone.

Sasuke simply lifted a brow at her, his face emotionless. Sakura faltered and in a flash Sasuke grabbed the knife from her hand and flung it effortlessly across the clearing. Sakura widened her eyes as the reality of the situation crashed down on her. Sasuke was _alive._ And he was crouched in front of her, a small smirk plastered to his face.

"Did you miss me?" His eyes flickered with amusement and a terrible sob wracked Sakura's body.

"Sasuke!!" She flung her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly, sobbing and laughing with relief all at the same time.

For a moment Sasuke just stayed there, still as a statue. Then, he shocked Sakura by wrapping his arms around her and sat in the grass, pulling her down into his lap. Sakura said nothing, not wanting to spoil this perfect moment. Sasuke rested her head against his chest, and he let his chin rest on her head.

"Sakura?" His voice was low and void of emotion, and it almost sounded more like a statement than a question.

There was a brief silence, and then Sakura replied timidly.

"Yes, Sasuke?"

Another silence.

"Don't ever do that again. I was worried." He still sounded emotionless, but his words filled Sakura with a joy that would top even the highest peaks with ease.

"And Sakura……..I missed you." Sakura's eyes widened considerably, and she choked mid-breath.

"Wha….What?" She tipped her head up to look into his eyes, and he looked down at her, a true smile softening his hard features.

"I missed you." He repeated, and then he turned Sakura around in his lap so she was face to face with him.

She smiled slightly and blushed, averting her eyes. As soon as Sasuke began to move her eyes flashed back to his face, just in time to register how close he was before their lips met. Sasuke hugged her to him, his left hand pressing into the small of her back to keep her close. Sakura sat stunned for a moment, and then she responded by wrapping her arms around his neck and returning the kiss. She had waited all her life for this very moment, but she had never imagined how much energy coursed through her body because of one kiss. Sasuke pulled away and stared into her eyes, the faint smile still playing with his features.

"Sakura?"

"Huh?"

"I promise, I'll never leave you alone again." With that she smiled, and the two sat and watched the sky in silence, enjoying the bliss of each others company. And Sakura knew Sasuke was not one to break a promise.

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HEY!!!! It's finally done!!!!! That is...unless anyone is looking for a sequel...grins mischeiviously...so. Tell me if you liked it, or if you thought it was okay, or if you thought it sucked and needs to deleted. But if you choose the latter, please be nice!! Flames make me feel bad and want to cry because of peoples scorn. So nows your chance to voice your opinion on my 2-shot!!! I guess you'd better get to it then. Later days!!!!

Mistoffelees Shadow


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